1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inverted pendulum type moving body, which can move in all directions (i.e., all directions in two dimensional space) on a floor surface. In particular, the present invention relates to an inverted pendulum type moving body which is movable in alignment with another moving body.
2. Description of the Related Art
An omnidirectional vehicle (an inverted pendulum type moving body) which can move in all directions (i.e., all directions in two dimensional space) on a floor surface has been suggested by the applicant, for example, in PCT International Publication No. WO 08/132,778 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 1”) and in PCT International Publication No. WO 08/132,779 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 2”). According to the omnidirectional vehicle described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a drive unit, which can move in all directions on a floor surface while contacting the floor surface and is spherically shaped, wheel shaped, or a crawler shaped, and an actuator comprising an electric motor and the like driving the drive unit are assembled to a base body of a vehicle. This vehicle moves over the floor surface by driving the drive unit with an actuator.
Further, a technology controlling a moving operation of this type of omnidirectional vehicle is suggested by the applicant, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 3070015 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 3”). According to this technology, a base body of a vehicle is provided on a spherical drive unit so that the base body can freely tilt in a fore-and-aft and lateral directions. Further, by measuring the tilt angle of the base body, and by controlling the torque of an electric motor driving the drive unit so that this tilt angle is maintained to be a predetermined angle, the vehicle is moved according to tilting movement of the base body.
When a movement control of the omnidirectional vehicle seen in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 is performed, it is desirable to link the movements of a plurality of moving vehicles. It is also desirable to make a movement of a vehicle depend on a movement of another vehicle. For example, when an inverted pendulum type omnidirectional vehicle is used for a walking assisting device such as a crutch, the user will have to put his or her weight on two omnidirectional vehicles placed at both sides of the user, and will have to maneuver the two omnidirectional vehicles at the same time in alignment to one another. However, practically speaking, such use has been difficult.